Softening Up in the Detention Cell and the Dark Web Phantom

In the temporary detention area of the municipal detention center, the lights were always a dim, lifeless yellow, and the air was filled with a mixture of disinfectant, sweat, and a stifling atmosphere of "despair." The corridors were empty and silent, with only the rhythmic sound of leather shoes tapping on the terrazzo floor.

Two police officers, one on each side, escorted the gang leader, a man with a snake's head tattooed on his neck, towards one of the detention cells. The gang leader kept his head down, deliberately avoiding the curious or indifferent gazes from the other detention cells on both sides of the corridor.

His face was taut, and the fierceness he had shown in the hospital still lingered in his eyes, but more than that, there was a silence and stubbornness born of a resolute decision. He was determined not to utter a word no matter what the police asked, to stall until his lawyer arrived, or... until they lost patience.

Upon reaching an iron gate marked "7", a police officer took out Key, inserted it into the lock, and with a crisp "click", the heavy iron gate was pushed open inward.

"Go in." The officer's voice was devoid of any emotion as he stepped aside to make way.

Greenhead obeyed, habitually lowering his head, and stepped inside. His mind was still calculating how to cope with the upcoming solitary confinement, how to remain silent, how...

However, the moment he stepped into the detention cell, his movements seemed to freeze instantly!

His lowered gaze didn't first fall on the empty concrete floor, but rather on several pairs of gleaming black leather shoes, so shiny they almost reflected his astonished expression, neatly arranged in the limited space.

A cold, oppressive aura rushed towards him as if it were a tangible force, making the hairs on his body stand on end instantly!

He suddenly raised his head.

The not-so-spacious temporary detention cell was packed with burly men in black suits, some sitting, some standing. They filled the already limited space to the brim, like silent reefs. Their faces were expressionless, but they all focused their cold, indifferent, and slightly mocking gazes on him, the uninvited guest who had just barged in.

In the very center of the crowd, the man he never wanted to see again— Li Jun —was leaning against the cold wall, arms crossed, watching him with an air of nonchalance. The instant their eyes met, the corners of Li Jun's lips began to curve upwards in an extremely slow, yet incredibly clear, arc.

It wasn't a smile; it was more like the cruel and gleeful grin of a predator watching its prey walk into its trap. The Scar on his cheek, usually not very noticeable, twisted like a centipede as the smile spread, becoming increasingly grotesque and terrifying.

"No... no! I've gone the wrong way! Let me out!!" Green Skin Head's scalp instantly tingled, a chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, and he almost instinctively roared, his body suddenly shrinking back, trying to escape this cage that made his soul tremble.

But it was too late.

The two officers behind him seemed completely oblivious to his shouts and the chilling scene unfolding inside. The instant he stepped back, one of the officers, expressionless, reached out and shoved him hard from behind!

A tremendous force came, and the green-skinned man, who was already shaken and unsteady on his feet, was pushed forward and stumbled into the "human wall" formed by the group of burly men in black.

"Clang--!"

The heavy iron gate behind him was slammed shut, the sound of the lock clicking shut clear and cold, completely extinguishing his hopes of escape.

Inside the detention room, under the dim light, the atmosphere instantly became incredibly eerie and oppressive.

Those burly men in black, who had been sitting or standing, stood up in unison at Li Jun's signal, as if they were machines receiving an order. Their movements were synchronized and silent, and they formed an even tighter encirclement with their bodies, firmly trapping the thug in the middle.

Li Jun then slowly lowered his arms, which had been wrapped around his neck, and began to stretch his wrists and neck, his knuckles making a series of sharp, teeth-grinding cracking sounds. He walked forward step by step, and the encirclement automatically parted to make way for him.

He walked up to the pale-faced, trembling man, and looked down at him. The Scar face of his man grinned more broadly, revealing his gleaming white teeth that reflected a cold light in the dim lamplight.

He reached out, but instead of hitting him, he gently tapped the bald, sweat-covered forehead of the green-skinned man with the knuckle of his index finger, making a soft "knock knock" sound.

"Kid," Li Jun's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a teasing, cat -Rat tone and a chilling coldness; every word felt like a hammer blow to the hoodlum's heart.

I heard...

"You're really stubborn."

Time passed slowly outside the temporary detention area.

Captain Li and several key members of the task force ate a quick meal in the canteen, then returned to their office for a cup of strong tea, discussing the next steps in the investigation. About two hours later, estimating that it was about time, Captain Li put down his teacup and said to everyone, "Let's go see our 'tough guy' brother. Have he come to his senses yet?"

The group returned to the interrogation area. Before they could even arrange the interrogation room, the officer in charge of guarding cell number 7 strode over, his face bearing a complex expression that was hard to describe—a mixture of wanting to laugh and trying to suppress it, and the seriousness of reporting important information.

"Captain Li!" The officer stood at attention and saluted.

"What happened? Is there a fight inside?" Captain Li asked calmly, as if he had expected it.

"No... no, that's not it." The officer quickly shook his head, organizing his thoughts. "It's just... just now, that hoodlum in room 7 asked to see the officers, saying... saying he's willing to confess, willing to say anything! He just wants... just wants to get him moved to another room as soon as possible!"

Captain Li exchanged a knowing glance with the veteran detectives behind him. Sure enough.

"Take him to interrogation room number 2," Captain Li ordered.

Soon, in interrogation room number 2, Captain Li saw the gang leader again. He was completely different from the tough guy he had been a few hours earlier, with a stiff neck, no words, and a taut, menacing face.

At this moment, he was like a frightened bird, huddled in the interrogation chair, his face as pale as paper, his eyes filled with fear and lingering dread, and his body still trembling slightly uncontrollably. His clothes looked relatively intact, without any obvious signs of beating, but the fear that emanated from his very bones was more convincing than any superficial injury.

He didn't even dare to look Captain Li in the eye.

"Have you thought it through?" Captain Li sat down, his tone calm.

"I've thought it through! I've thought it through! Government, I'll confess, I'll confess everything! I just beg you not to lock me up again! That place... that place is no place for a human being!" The thug's voice was choked with sobs and urgency, and he was incoherent.

The subsequent interrogation went more smoothly than expected.

Under immense psychological pressure, Qingpitou spilled everything he knew. He confessed that their operation wasn't instigated by any specific enemy or force, but rather they received an "order" on an encrypted dark web platform.

The other party used anonymous encrypted communication. The mission requirements were simple: go to ward 721 of the Provincial Third People's Hospital, forcibly take away a specific target (the other party provided a photo of Hou Xiaoya), control her, and then transport her to a designated abandoned parking lot on the outskirts of the city in a van they had prepared.

The payment is in Bitcoin, with half already paid as a deposit. After the job is done, the girl will be delivered to the designated location, and once everything is confirmed, the remaining half will be paid.

"Who is the other party? What do they look like? What's their name? What's their contact information?" Captain Li pressed.

The burly man with the green hair shook his head frantically, his face contorted with despair. "I don't know, I really don't know, government! Everything on the dark web is anonymous, we use those... those encrypted email addresses whose origins can't be traced, and we even use voice changers! The Bitcoin is deposited directly into my anonymous wallet! We only care about money, we never ask who the other party is, that's the rule!"

He repeatedly emphasized that he was merely an "executor" who took orders on the dark web, and that he knew nothing about the employer's specific identity, why they wanted to kidnap the sick girl, or what would happen after she was taken to the parking lot. He accepted the job purely because the price offered was high enough that he was willing to take the risk.

After the interrogation, the police officers took the nearly exhausted hoodlum away.

Captain Li sat in the interrogation room, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, his brow furrowed.

Dark web... Bitcoin... Anonymous hiring...

The clues seemed to be clearer, but they also pointed to a deeper, more elusive darkness.